Hop Plant Named &#39;HBC 644&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new hop plant named ‘HBC 644’ is disclosed. ‘HBC 644’ is used for its exceptional and unique aromatic qualities.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority is claimed with respect to U.S. Provisional Patent Application62/496,933 filed on Nov. 1, 2016.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

None

Genus and species: Humulus lupulus.

Variety denomination: ‘HBC 644’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘HBC 644’ is a product of a controlled breeding program carried out bythe inventors in the Yakima Valley of Washington State. ‘HBC 644’ wasone of several seedlings resulting from a open pollination cross made in2008 with female parent CoIT (unpatented) and an unknown male parent.Seedling plants from this cross were planted in 2009 and screened fordisease resistance and sex in a greenhouse and field nursery nearGranger, Wash. A single plant of ‘HBC 644’ was selected in 2012. In 2013‘HBC 644’ was expanded by asexual tissue culture propagation to 14plants in an evaluation block near Toppenish, Wash. In 2015 ‘HBC 644’was further expanded by asexual tissue culture propagation to a 1 acretest block near Toppenish, Wash. The ‘HBC 644’ plants have now beenobserved and evaluated for several years. Throughout several generationsof asexual propagation, ‘HBC 644’ has been observed to retain itsdistinctive characteristics and remain true to type.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

FIG. 1 illustrates a mature ‘HBC 644’ hop plant grown on a trellis;

FIG. 2 illustrates whole cones and cross sections of cones of the ‘HBC644’ hop plant;

FIG. 3 illustrates cones on a mature ‘HBC 644’ hop plant.

FIG. 4 illustrates leaves on a mature ‘HBC 644’ hop plant

FIG. 5 illustrates leaves of a mature ‘HBC 644’ hop plant.

FIG. 6 illustrates leaves of a mature ‘HBC 644’ hop plant.

The colors of these illustrations may vary with lighting conditions and,therefore, color characteristics of this new variety should bedetermined with reference to the observations described herein, ratherthan from these illustrations alone.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following description is based on observations made during the 2016growing seasons at Toppenish, Wash. It should be understood that thecharacteristics described will vary somewhat depending upon culturalpractices and climatic conditions, and can vary with location andseason. Quantified measurements are expressed as an average ofmeasurements taken from a number of individual plants of the newvariety. The measurements of any individual plant or any group ofplants, of the new variety may vary from the stated average. All colorreferences are based on The Royal Horticultural Society Color Chart.

-   Ploidy: Triploid.-   Sex: Female.-   Use: Brewing beer and ale.-   Harvest date: September 20-30 (during 2015 to 2016 growing seasons    at Toppenish, Wash.).-   Yield: Average yield is 2450 to 2900 kg/hectare.-   Disease reaction:    -   -   Powdery mildew.—Moderate resistance.        -   Downy mildew.—Unknown.        -   Verticillium wilt.—Unknown.-   Oil analytical characteristics (averages):    -   -   % Alpha acid (% cone weight).—11.9-14.9%.        -   % Beta acid (% cone weight).—3.5-3.9%.        -   % Cohumulone (% alpha acids).—28.5-30.5%.        -   Total oil (ml/100 g of cones).—2.3-2.8% Oil.        -   Hop storage index.—<35-45%.        -   Aroma profile.—Sulfur, pine, citrus, spicy.        -   A-pinene.—0.09 % Total Oil.        -   B-pinene.—0.65 % Total Oil.        -   Myrcene.—42.69% Total Oil.        -   2-methyl-butyl isobutyrate.—0.51 % Total Oil.        -   Limonene.—0.19% Total Oil.        -   Linalool.—0.52% Total Oil.        -   Caryophyllene.—10.21 % Total Oil.        -   Farnesene.—0.05 % Total Oil.        -   Humulene.—17.18% Total Oil.        -   Citral.—0.79% Total Oil        -   Geranyl acetate.—0.96% Total Oil.        -   Citronellol.—2.88% Total Oil.        -   Nerol.—0.34% Total Oil.        -   Geraniol.—0.19% Total Oil.        -   B-lonene.—0.01 % Total Oil.-   Bine:    -   -   Color.—Yellow-Green 144B.        -   Stripe present.—No.        -   Stripe color.—N/A.        -   Stipule direction.—Up.        -   Bine diameter.—8.5 mm at base; 11 mm at nine feet; 6.0 mm at            terminal end of eighteen feet.-   Leaf:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Shape.—Palmately Lobed.        -   Average length of mature leaf.—13.0 cm.        -   Average width of mature leaf.—18.4 cm.        -   Color of mature leaf upper surface.—Yellow-Green 147A.        -   Color of mature leaf lower surface.—Yellow-Green 147B.        -   Color of immature leaf upper surface.—Green 137A.        -   Color of immature leaf lower surface.—Yellow-Green 147B.        -   Number of lobes.—3 or 5.        -   Margin.—Serrate.        -   Serrations per inch.—3-6.        -   Average petiole length (mature).—63 mm.        -   Petiole color at base.—Yellow-Green 187B.        -   Venation.—Palmate.        -   Vein color.—Yellow-Green 146D.-   Cone:    -   -   Avg. length.—30 mm.        -   Avg. diameter.—19 mm.        -   Bract tip color.—Yellow-Green 144A.        -   Bract base color.—Yellow-Green 145B.        -   Bracteole color.—Yellow-Green 145C.        -   Cone shape.—Ovate.        -   Bract shape.—Orbicular.        -   Bract tip shape.—Acuminate-Mucronate.        -   Bract tip position (not observed).        -   Bracteole shape.—Oval.        -   Pickability.—Good.        -   Lupulin glands color.—Yellow 2A.

1. A new and distinct Hop plant as illustrated and described herein.